


A Royal Partnership

by spazticballerinakate



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bets & Wagers, F/M, Tea, brief appearance by trinket, cass is a rogue and nobody can take that away from me, vax and cassandra are tea buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 06:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spazticballerinakate/pseuds/spazticballerinakate
Summary: Vax and Cassandra make a bet over tea





	A Royal Partnership

“So…” said Cassandra before raising the teacup to her mouth to take a sip. “when do you think it’s going to happen?”

Vax licked the crumbs of his tea cake off his fingers before responding, voice muffled with the dry flakes still in his mouth.

“Honestly, with how long it took those two to finally confess their love for one another, I would say we still have a few months at least before Freddie pops the question.”

“Freddie? Really?”

“Ah yes, Percival Fredrickstein von blah blah blah de Rolo III is a little stuffy for my taste. Hence, Freddie - no offence, Cassandra Johanna blah blah blah de Rolo.”

Cassandra chuckled at that and placed her tea back on the table before leaning back in her seat. “No offence taken, I assure you. Although my questioning wasn’t aimed towards your poor taste in nicknames. Surely we both know that your sister will be the one to propose first? My brother is traditional, but he does have a habit of taking his time. Lady Vex’ahlia is the type to take what she wants. It wouldn’t surprise me if she got tired of waiting for him and took matters into her own hands.”

“I think you’re underestimating my sister’s ability to wait. After all, she waited until you brother was dead to tell him her true feelings. Percy will ask her.”

“Care to make a wager?” Cassandra said with a sly grin. “Percy proposes first versus Vex proposes first. I am fairly confident in Vex.”

Vax placed his hand to his heart, mocking offence “Lady Cassandra! The Lady Cassandra Johanna blah blah blah de Rolo of Whitestone? Proposing a wager? The scandal! The atrocity! What will people think? What will they say when they hear that their great lady has been gambling, and might I add has lost this terrible, terrible bet? What’s the wager?”

Cassandra took another sip of her tea while she pondered the best way to humiliate Vax. Make him wear one of Vex’s dresses for a day? No, that wouldn’t bother him at all. Make him wear Percival’s clothes for a day? She giggled at that, picturing Vax slumped over wearing Percival’s riding boots and pants and his royal blue coat with a frown. While that was definitely closer to the goal she wished to accomplish, it wasn’t quite right.

“If I win” she said with sudden realization and one of the biggest smiles Vax had seen on the girl since he first met her, “you have to teach me.”

“Teach you….what?”

“To do what you do! I’m sneaky. Whitney, Oliver, and I used to explore the tunnels under the castle. That’s how I helped Percy escape after the Briarwoods came. Also, have you ever heard Olga wonder where all the pastries disappear to?” 

She got up and dragged Vax by the arm from her study into her adjoining bedroom and threw open the top drawer of her desk. Inside were pastries and baked goods wrapped in various handkerchiefs.

“Uhmmm… how long have those been in there?”

Cassandra continued without a second thought, her child-like excitement reminding Vax that this leader was so young, forced to grow up way too soon. “I can have daggers commissioned for myself! We can set up the gardens as a training field!”

“First of all, Cass I think we need to acknowledge something. You’re a hoarder. You do realize that you have a multitude of servants who can bring you pastries anytime you want, yeah? Second, your brother will kill me if I do this. Which only makes me want to do it more. Third, if you lose?”

“Which I won’t” Cassandra said before stuffing an apple tart into her mouth (only a day old for the record, she had a sweet tooth and a bad habit of sneaking food into her room- a lingering ghost from the Briarwood’s, but she wasn’t an animal).

“Oh I’m sorry” Vax corrected “WHEN you lose, you have to get a Sun Tree costume and wear it through all of next Winter’s Crest. And you can’t just hide in your castle all day, you have to be involved in the festival. And make a speech.”

“Come on Cass” he said after a long enough pause that he was afraid she was reconsidering, “you know you want to. Its only one Winter’s Crest. And if you’re so sure that my sister’s going to ask first?”

“Deal!” Cassandra exclaimed, thrusting her arm forward for a handshake.

“Deal.” Vax nodded, as he led her back to the table where they had been enjoying their tea, “so how are things going with you and Kynan?” he asked right as Cassandra resumed drinking her tea, and laughed as she spit it out, choking from the unexpected question.

“But… How..”

“I’m sneaky, I’m going to be your big brother, and I know everything. Don’t question it.” He responded, tapping his teacup against hers in a mocking cheers, “I want all the details.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, Percy and I have announcement to make” Vex declared at breakfast a few mornings later.

Vax glanced over at Cassandra who gave him a quick eyebrow then turned her focus back to the couple on the other side of the table. 

“Yes, erhm, we’re engaged” Percy piped in. 

Cass and Vax jumped up out of their seats and rushed over to congratulate the newly engaged couple, when suddenly the excitement came to a stop.

“Wait, which one of-"

“No” Cass interrupted, “Sit down, why don’t the two of you tell the story of the engagement. Vex?”

“Oh of course! Well, I had asked Percival to meet me in the gardens to go on a walk. We had both been so busy, what with Percy helping Keyleth with the Crisis Orbs and my search for the baby Gray Render. So, I decided a stroll through the gardens would be a lovely way to relax for the day.”

Vax looked away from his sister and saw the young de Rolo looking at him with a devilish grin on her face.

“And after wandering the garden for a bit, Percy suggested we go in the labyrinth.”

“I, of course, wasn’t suggesting hide-and-seek, but with this one I probably shouldn’t have been surprised.” Percy cut in, planting a kiss on Vex’s head after the last bit. 

“So I ran off into the labyrinth, Percival following behind, and eventually we lost sight of each other. I found my way to the center, and there was Trinket, with a beautifully designed arrow in his mouth. And hanging on the arrow just next to the tip was a beautiful ring.”

“Of course the arrow wasn’t fully functioning yet since I had to have a way to detach the head so that I could then remove the ring again… if you said yes. I daresay with a few more days and a new arrowhead, you, future Mrs. De Rolo, will have a fully functioning exploding engagement arrow.”

“So romantic, Freddie”

“I think it’s romantic, Percival” Cass responded, shooting Vax a death glare rival only to his sister’s. “I’m so happy for the two of you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go have a tree costume commissioned.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And so, on this Winter’s Crest- the third since the liberation of Whitestone” Cassandra pauses for a brief roar of applause, “we must remember all those who fought for us. Our family, our friends, and Vox Machina. Remember those who gave their lives so that Whitestone could have a brighter future. Happy Winter’s Crest!”

She waits until the applause dies down, then awkwardly climbs down the steps of the stage, grabbing a hand for help as it appears to her at the bottom.

“Looking good, my Lady. Your leaves are looking particularly lovely on this fine afternoon” the rogue says with a wink as he helps her down, the stiffness of the trunk of her costume making it hard to maneuver through the crowds.

“Thank you, kind gentleman, I find that my outfit truly embodies the spirit of Whitestone.”

“Yeah, yeah, now go get changed. Your debt has been paid, and I’m satisfied. I may have had Jamison do a quick portrait of you during your speech. Very regal.”

“Gee, thank you, Vax’ildan. I’m sure it is something that you will be able to treasure forever.”

“It most certainly is. So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning in the gardens for training?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Cassandra responds with a smile, before going as quickly as possible up to the castle to take off the horrid Sun Tree costume and polish her daggers for the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever fic! 
> 
> Shoutout to my bff Sam for the title and for encouraging me to post this.


End file.
